1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator equipped with a magnet switch capable of turning on and off refrigerator lamps in connection with the opening and closing of the refrigerator doors.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a perspective view for showing a general refrigerator having a refrigerator lamp switch. As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerator 1 generally comprises an upper freezing compartment 10, a lower fresh food compartment 20, an insulating partition 30, an evaporator (not shown), a fan (not shown), a door for the upper freezing compartment 70 (hereinafter, "freezer door 70") and a door for the lower fresh food compartment 60 (hereinafter, "fresh food door 60"). The upper freezing compartment 10 is a room for preserving food in a freezing manner, and the lower fresh food compartment 20 is a chamber for preserving food in a fresh state without freezing. Further, the insulating compartment 10 from the lower fresh food compartment 20. The evaporator is mounted in a rear side of the refrigerator 1 and converts air flown thereinto to refrigerated air through heat-exchange. The fan is mounted over the evaporator and circulates the refrigerated air through the freezing compartment 10 and the fresh food compartment 20. The fresh food door 70 and the freezer door 60 are used to open and close the freezing compartment 10 and the fresh food compartment 20, respectively. The refrigerator 1 has a freezing compartment lamp 25, a fresh food compartment lamp 27, and a refrigerator lamp switch 29. The freezing compartment lamp 25 is mounted on one side of the freezing compartment 10 to light the freezing compartment 10, and the fresh food compartment lamp 27 is mounted on one side of the fresh food compartment 20 to light the fresh food compartment 20. The refrigerator lamp switch 29 is mounted in the insulating partition 30 in contact with the freezer door 60 and the fresh food door 70, and turns on and off in accordance with opening and closing of the freezer door 60 and the fresh food door 70. The freezing compartment lamp 25 and/or the fresh food compartment lamp 27 turns on and/or off when the refrigerator lamp switch 29 turns on and off in accordance with the opening and closing of the freezer door 60 and/or the fresh food door 70.
FIG. 1A is an enlarged view for showing a portion of a conventional refrigerator lamp switch, and FIG. 2 is a view for schematically showing a structure of the conventional refrigerator lamp switch of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 2, one end of the freezer door 60 has a first protrusion 60a which protrudes downwardly, and one end of the fresh food door 70 has a second protrusion 70a which protrudes upwardly toward the first protrusion 60a. The refrigerator lamp switch 29 has a front panel 119. First and second protrusion bars 120a and 120 protrude out through the front panel 119 toward the first and second protrusions 60a and 70a. First and second cylindrical caps 130a and 130b are fixedly inserted into the other ends of the first and second protrusion bars 120a and 120, respectively. First and second cap protrusions 131a and 131b protrude from the outer peripheral surfaces of the first and second cylindrical caps 130a and 130b, respectively. The first and second cap protrusions 131a and 131b have a step portions 132a and 132b thereon, respectively. The first and second protrusion bars 120a and 120 are supported by guiding plates 111a and 111b, respectively. The bottom surfaces of the first and second cylindrical caps 130a and 130b are connected to the ends of first and second springs 140a and 140b respectively. The other ends of the first and second springs 140a and 140b are each connected to one side of a switch box 150. The switch box 150 is mounted in the insulating partition 30. First, second, third and fourth terminals 133a, 133b, 133c and 133d each of which is a metal strip are provided in the switch box 150. The first to fourth terminals 133a, 133b, 133c and 133d are fixed at a certain distance and parallel with one another by a terminal fixing part 141. Two pairs of electric wires 133e and 133f connect the freezing compartment lamp 25 and the fresh food compartment lamp 27 with the ends of the first to fourth terminals 133a, 133b, 133c and 133d. The step portion 132a of the first cap protrusion 131a supports the first terminal 133a, and the step portion 132b of the second cap protrusion 131b supports the fourth terminal 133d. A contact part 118 is mounted between a bent portion 133aa of the first terminal 133a and a bent portion 133da of the fourth terminal 133d. Both ends of the contact part 118 are each bent to form a first bent portion 118a and a second bent portion 118b of the contact part 118. The first to fourth terminals 133a, 133b, 133c and 133d and the first and second bent portion 118a and 118b are elastic.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are views for explaining operations of the refrigerator lamp switch of FIG. 2 when the fresh food door is opened and closed. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the fresh food door 70 is closed, the second protrusion 70a presses the second protrusion bar 120 which protrudes beyond the panel 119. At this time, the second protrusion bar 120 moves in the direction of arrow A. The movement of the second protrusion bar 120 in the direction of arrow A causes the step portion 132a of the first cap protrusion 131a to move inwardly in the direction of arrow A while supporting the first terminal 133a. The movement of the first cap protrusion 131a causes the bent portion 133aa of the first terminal 133a to move in the direction of arrow C so as to disconnect the first bent portion 118a from the bent portion 133aa. Further, the movement of the first cap protrusion 131a causes the spring 140a to contract. Due to the disconnection of the first bent portion 118a from the bent portion 133aa, the pair of electric wires 133e are disconnected from each other which connect the fresh food compartment lamp 27 with the first and second terminals 133a and 133b (referring to FIG. 2). Accordingly, the fresh food compartment lamp 27 turns off. When the freezer door 60 is closed, the freezing compartment lamp 25 turns off by the same operations of the first protrusion bar 120a, and the third and fourth terminals 133c and 133d as mentioned above. Therefore, explanation on the interaction of the first protrusion 60a of the freezer door 60, the first protrusion bar 120a, the third and fourth terminals 133c and 133d, the spring 140b and the pair of electric wires 133f is omitted.
FIG. 3B is a view for explaining operations of the refrigerator lamp switch of FIG. 2 when the fresh food door is opened. As shown in FIG. 3B, when the fresh food door 70 is opened, the second protrusion 70a releases the pressing of the second protrusion bar 120 which protrudes outward from the panel 119. At this time, the second protrusion bar 120 moves in the direction of arrow B. The movement of the second protrusion bar 120 in the direction of arrow B causes the step portion 132a of the first cap protrusion 131a to move in the direction of arrow B while supporting the first terminal 133a. The movement of the first cap protrusion 131a causes the bent portion 133aa of the first terminal 133a to move in the direction of arrow D to contact the first bent portion 118a with the first terminal 133a. Further, due to the movement of the first cap protrusion 131a, the spring 140a is restored from its contraction. When the first bent portion 118a is in contact with the bent portion 133aa, the pair of electric wires 133e are connected with each other so that the fresh food compartment lamp 27 is electrically connected with the first and second terminal 133a and 133b (referring to FIG. 2). Therefore, the fresh food compartment lamp 27 turns on. When the freezer door 60 is opened, the freezing compartment lamp 25 turns on by the same operations of the first protrusion bar 120a, and the third and fourth terminals 133c and 133d as mentioned above. Therefore, explanation on the interaction of the first protrusion 60a of the freezer door 60, the first protrusion bar 120a, the third and fourth terminals 133c and 133d, the spring 140b, and the pair of electric wires 133f is omitted.
However, the conventional refrigerator lamp switch as mentioned above has drawbacks in that the production cost increases since the conventional refrigerator lamp switch has difficulties in the assembling process due to its complicated structure and the freezer door and the fresh food door each have a protrusion for pressing its protrusion bar.